Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ichihara

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,264 in Ichihara, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Ichihara
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Ichihara Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Ichihara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,264

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ichihara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Ichihara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,264 in Ichihara.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Ichihara $1,264

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,001 in Ichihara.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ichihara $2,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,738 in Ichihara.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Ichihara $2,738

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Ichihara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Ichihara 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.46 ¥1,021

69.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$41.72 ¥6,589

3.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.19 ¥820

126.97%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$3.47 ¥548

9.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$24.03

$1.06 ¥167

20.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$0.78 ¥124

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$2.50 ¥395

26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$3.12 ¥492

58.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.43 ¥226

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$1.72 ¥272

29.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$3.56 ¥562

-60.11%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$2.00 ¥316

26.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$10.21 ¥1,613

-28.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$6.17 ¥975

24.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$14.69 ¥2,320

-13.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$5.67 ¥895

-50.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$2.83 ¥447

-51.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$2.81 ¥443

-9.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$4.11 ¥649

-48.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$2.56 ¥405

-24.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$2.65 ¥418

-28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$1.28 ¥202

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$0.76 ¥120

55.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$3.74 ¥591

14.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$6.26 ¥988

58.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$1.75 ¥277

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$2.10 ¥332

27.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$1.24 ¥196

-55.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$50.1 ¥7,907

-46.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

$3.12 ¥493

59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$2.63 ¥416

26.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$20.56 ¥3,247

-73.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$1.12 ¥176

28.57%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

-4.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$15.9K ¥2.5M

48.00%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$84.8 MX$1,589

$134 ¥21.2K

-36.81%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.41 MX$439

$24.21 ¥3,824

-3.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$31.75 ¥5,015

-9.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$48.44 ¥7,651

17.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$12.87 ¥2,032

-60.06%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$207 MX$3,871

$837 ¥132.2K

-75.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-73.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$63.3 ¥9,989

-31.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$36.37 ¥5,744

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$62.8 ¥9,920

18.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$102 ¥16.2K

-12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$501 ¥79.1K

95.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$385 ¥60.8K

-1.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$878 ¥138.7K

94.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$806 ¥127.3K

33.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$4,196 ¥662.7K

-6.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

$2,521 ¥398.1K

144.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.64

333.71%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ichihara: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Ichihara

$385 30.4% 1% $3.9

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Ichihara

$289 22.9% 13.5% $34

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Ichihara

$135 10.7% 33.3% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Ichihara

$190 15.1% 38.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Ichihara

$119 9.4% 6.6% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Ichihara

$74 5.9% 10.2% $6.9

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ichihara

$71 5.6% 41.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $501 in Ichihara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $42 in Ichihara. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $289, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇯🇵 Ichihara

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

23:30 11:30 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

269,524

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Ichihara 12,040 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ichihara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Ichihara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $1,896 in Ichihara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $501 in Ichihara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Ichihara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,264 in Ichihara – Playa del Carmen is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Playa del Carmen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.